FREE Pair of Tickets **AND Game Glove** to UofM vs OSU Game Next Sat

my wife and I live on north high street in columbus.  We are both true michigan fans.  My brother, on the the other hand, is a former OSU baseball player.  Please forgive him!!  He is the best person I know.  He is a teacher in Columbus, a baseball coach, and a true Michigan Man.  He does not know that yet.  I hate him for being a Buckeye fan, but he has continued to battle through chemo (stage 4 colon cancer) and I would love to show him what being a Michigan man is all about.  If there are questions about the authenticity of this, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] or 614-746-4768.  Whatever you do, your generosity is amazing and GO BLUE!!

I was born in Lansing, Michigan and my dad is a MSU grad and my family on my dad's side are all huge MSU fans and attend all there sporting events. Thank god my mom and family on my mom's side are Michigan fans and I also moved to ann arbor when I was about 2. I started watching Michigan football at age 7 in 1994. I had to move to Florida in 1998 because of my dad's job and was crushed at the time. I was able to attend a couple games in the big house before we moved. I saw the 5-0 win vs purdue in 1995 after driving in a blizzard with my dad to get there, still remember charles woodson getting an int in that game. The other game was 1996 homecoming vs. Indiana which woodson put on a pretty good show again. Living in Orlando I was also able to attend Lloyd Carr's final game at the Capital One Bowl vs Florida. I was also visiting for thanksgiving last year and my brother and i drove down from Lansing to Ann Arbor to just tailgate and watch the Ohio game at a local bar. I have not missed watching a Michigan football game live since 1995 season. I live for Michigan football. Growing up I had lucky spots I would not move from for 3-4 hours while the game was on, not even moving for halftime as long as things were going well of course. I would sometimes get grounded for yelling at siblings or my parents for walking into the room at the wrong time  during the game and I believed they caused  something during the game to go wrong. In high school, I played 4 years varsity basketball for a powerhouse basketball school down here in Florida and during the high school years I missed fall workouts and I even showed up late for a couple practices early in the year because I was home watching Michigan. I remember my coach had me run for an entire 3 hour practice because he knew why I was late to practice, I was home watching Michigan beat Ohio, well worth the running if you ask me. Played basketball in college and missed the bus leaving for a road game my freshman year and had to drive myself 2 hours away to make it because I will not miss a moment of any game. Every game I take out all my Michigan jerseys I have and lay them all over my apartment, I have two daughters who put on there jerseys as well as my wife who knew nothing about Michigan before she met me puts hers on as well, everyone of my friends and family members know not to call me during Michigan games because it is pointless and whenever somebody friends or family try to make plans with me on a fall weekend it is always when does Michigan play or when is the game on or will Justin be making on Saturday, etc. On gameday I take out and setup the following a Michigan helmet I have, a blown up picture framed of the big house, Michigan flags, and even my first baby shoes which are nothing but maize and blue nikes which were giving to me by Gary Moeller and Im still upset my mom had me wearing them around but at least she kept them and other framed pictures of players and stuff. I named my oldest daughter Jaelyn after Jalen Rose, her middle name is Ray after Marcus Ray. I named my younger daughter Laila Maize. My cat is named Mario after Mario Manningham. My dog was named charles after charles woodson(all time favorite player). I wore number 2 all throughout my basketball career because of Mr. Woodson. I have cried after certain loses, and gone crazy after certain wins. My week doesnt feel right after we lose and can not wait until the following week. I watched every second of every game in the richrod era. My dream is to one day move back to ann arbor and be able to attend every game. Right now HD TV is the best thing I have. I could go on and on about how I am the super super super fan but this thing would never end because I have story after story but I can prove all of what I have said, I'll bring the shoes, birth papers of my daughters, whatever. I live for Michigan football and I would fly up for this game and pay whatever airfare if chosen but either way this is outstanding you do this for people and I never responded before because like everyone else I would say give it Mott kids or other people more deserving but when you said super fan i could not hold back. Thank you and Go Blue!!!!

Let me first say that I would be thrilled if you chose a vet or someone from Motts.

But if you'd care to hear another unlikely Michigan fan story. I was very young when my older cousin tried to sell his authentic Michigan basketball shorts (Fab 5 era) on the rummage sale. I acquired them and fell in love. Once I got older and started watching Tom Brady, Brian Griese, Tishmunga, A Train, Woodson, I was hooked. You can't not get caught up in the tradition.

A pair of gold shorts sounds trivial when compared to the lucky people who live in Michigan, as part of Michigan families, and spent time in the Big House sharing games with Dad. But for me that pair of shorts was my only real connection to program because I grew up in the land of football desolation, South Dakota. No major program to cheer for so the people are divided into Iowa, Minnesota, and God help us Nebraska fans. It may not compare to the hostility of living in Ohio, but it is not a friendly area to Michigan fans. I even dated a girl from a Notre Dame/Nebraska family, which was nauseating.

My brother and I recently had the opportunity to cross something off our bucket list: attend a Michigan football game. We saw them at Minnesota, and although we were bummed to miss out on seeing Denard before his career is over, we couldn't have been more excited for the game. I have to say it was really surreal to see the uniforms in person, watch them warm up, and talk to OTHER MICHiGAN FANS for a change. Truly magical. I hope you can all remember fondly your first game experience.

Obviously the next logical step on the bucket list is to make a journey to the Big House for a game and No. 1 on the list of course is to see The Game.

That's my cool story, and I hope it didn't sound too pathetic to all you seasoned Michigan Men and Women. Good luck with the pick. Cheers and Go Blue.

Andrew at brennifresh dot com

That rule about no kids highschool age drives me crazy. There is a difference between you 5* running back and the average high school kid. 

Growing up in an Army family, you never really have a home. You just have places you've lived; a year in New York, two years in Maryland, 18 months in Virginia, etc. Despite the fact that I'd never lived there, my dad always told me that Michigan was home. He taught me through football.

I lived in Fort Lewis, Washington in 1997 and 1998. I remember being sent to my elementary school clad in maize and blue, sticking out like a sore thumb among a sea of Washington State t-shirts before the 1998 Rose Bowl. When people asked why I wasn't rooting the Cougers, I'd tell them that Michigan was my real home.

Instead of celebrating Christmas at home in 1998, I went to Disney World for a week. One day, my dad and I abandoned the rides (and my mom) for an afternoon and went to root on the Michigan players in the orange squeezing contest that preceded the 1999 Citrus Bowl. What kind of 10-year-old would rather watch Anthony Thomas and Steve Hutchinson squeeze oranges than eat cotton candy and explore Disney World? Only me, because the opportunity to actually see some Michigan football players - who always played thousands of miles away from me - was more exciting than meeting Mickey Mouse.

In 2001, my dad and I screamed together at the tiny television from our apartment in Ft. Meade, Maryland when the clock froze at 0:01 at the end of the Michigan State game.

When my dad retired, we finally moved to Michigan in time for me to start high school. I'd only ever visited the state, but thanks to Charles Woodson, Brian Griese, and Chris Perry, Michigan immediately felt like home. For the first time, I was surrounded by Wolverine fans. My dad and I went to the Big House once - both of our first times there - before the injuries he sustained in the military caught up with him and he became wheelchair-bound. I don't mean this to be a sob story, only to explain that my Michigan fandom goes beyond "OMG WOODSON!"; the Wolverines have framed my life thus far.

Despite this, I've never been to The Game and I've never had an opportunity to watch Denard play in person. I'd planned to drive south from Michigan to my new home in Virginia on the Sunday after The Game. I'd be more than happy to leave a day early and make a pit stop watch a historic game between Michigan and Ohio State.